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This book brings together two emerging research areas: synchronization in coupled nonlinear systems and complex networks, and study conditions under which a complex network of dynamical systems synchronizes. While there are many texts that study synchronization in chaotic systems or properties of complex networks, there are few texts that consider the intersection of these two very active and interdisciplinary research areas.

Cell synchrony is a critical requirement for the study of eukaryotic cells. Although several chemical and genetic methods of cell cycle synchronization are currently available, they have certain limitations, such as unnecessary perturbations to cells. We developed a novel cell cycle synchronization method that is based on a cell chip platform. The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a simple but useful model system to study cell biology and shares many similar features with higher eukaryotic cells. Single yeast cells were individually captured in the wells of a specially designed cell chip platform. When released from the cell chip, the yeast cells were synchronized, with all cells in the G1 phase. This method is non-invasive and causes minimal chemical and biological damage to cells. The capture and release of cells using cells chips with microwells of specific dimensions allows for the isolation of cells of a particular size and shape; this enables the isolation of cells of a given phase, because the size and shape of yeast cells vary with the phase of the cell cycle. To test the viability of synchronized cells, the yeast cells captured in the cell chip platform were assessed for response to mating pheromone (α-factor). The synchronized cells isolated using the cell chip were capable of mediating the mating signaling response and exhibited a dynamic and robust response behavior. By changing the dimensions of the well of the cell chip, cells of other cell cycle phases can also be isolated.

Numbers of estrus synchronization programmes are available in cattle based on the use of various hormones like progesterone, prostaglandin F2a and their various combinations with other hormones like estrogen and Gonadotrophin Releasing hormone (GnRH). Selection of appropriate estrus synchronization protocol should be made on the basis of management capabilities and expectations of the farmer. Synchronization of oestrus can be accomplished with the injection of prostaglandin F2a alone, but it needs proper detection of the ovarian status of the cows as prostaglandin F2a is active in only functional corpus luteum in between 8 to 17 days of estrous cycle. Progesterone may reduce fertility up to 14 percent, but short time progesterone exposure (less than 14 days) is beneficial. Addition of GnRH in the Progesterone or Prostaglandin based synchronization programme is helpful for more synchrony in estrus as GnRH may be helpful to synchronize the oestrous cycle in delayed pubertal heifers and post partum cows (Post partum anoestrum) and further a single, timed artificial insemination is possible with this method. New methods of synchronizing estrus in which the GnRH-PG protocol is preceded by progesterone treatment offer effective synchronization of estrus with high fertility.

Recent declines in Neotropical-Nearctic migrant songbird populations are often attributed to events during the nonbreeding season, such as tropical habitat conversion and drought. Support for this hypothesis in most species, however, is largely anecdotal or conjectural. There is a dearth of demographic information about migrants on their Neotropical winter grounds. Such data are needed to identify specific ecological factors influencing survival, dispersal, and, ultimately, population abundances aggregated over multiple habitats at regional spatial scales. In this paper, we review several lines of evidence, emphasizing results of our research on paruline warblers in Jamaica, which indicate that migrant passerines often compete intraspecifically in winter for preferred quality habitats and that their populations may be limited at least in part by ecological conditions in winter. The demographic and ecological evidence supporting this hypothesis for migrant passerines includes: (1) differing densities among habitats, suggesting variation in habitat suitability; (2) strong territoriality, site attachment, and site fidelity; (3) experimental demonstrations of habitat saturation; (4) nonrandom distributions of sex and age classes among habitats; (5) overwinter decline of body mass by individuals occupying the most drought-stressed habitats; and (6) different residence times among habitats, suggesting differences in survival or dispersal. We review ecological and behavioral explanations for these demographic patterns, and make conservation recommendations based on our understanding of how local demographic circumstances affect broader scale population processes.

Empirical studies have shown that animal populations from a wide array of taxa exhibit spatial patterns of correlation in fluctuating abundance. In the search for explanations for this phenomenon it has been proposed that subpopulation interactions in the form of spatial dispersal, or variability in external factors, such as weather, would be the crucial driving forces responsible for spatial synchrony. Nevertheless, dispersal and external factors have been shown to produce different patterns of synchrony. We show here that observed patterns in synchronous dynamics can be reproduced by using a spatially linked population model. Further, we analyse how local and global environmental stochasticity and dispersal influence the pattern of spatial synchrony. We contrast our theoretical results with data on long-term dynamics of North American game animals and emphasize that the data and our spatial population dynamics models are compatible.